Tuesday, December 15, 2009

My Histrionic Features

Dr. Mark Dombeck at Mentalhelp.net suggests the following symptoms for histrionic features of personality disorders, which seem to be true for me:

  • Interaction with others is often characterized by inappropriate sexually seductive or provocative behavior
    For over a decade I used to dream so much about sex that I would hunt down possible flirtations to have something to dream about. Now it's hard to stop looking and not initiate something. It really became a source of enjoyment to the expense of real relationships.
  • Displays rapidly shifting and shallow expression of emotions
    I don't have a shallow expression - I'm rather demonstrative - but I shift rapidly as I alternate between priorities, spiritual outlooks, interpersonal understandings, and other facets of life that could all come into play in any situation.
  • has a style of speech that is excessively impressionistic and lacking in detail
    I get like this when I'm especially angry and don't care to work it out anymore.
  • shows self-dramatization, theatricality, and exaggerated expression of emotion
    I'm like this usually under three conditions - 1) angry and uncaring, as described above, 2) with my children, to try to communicate in a way they understand, and 3) when I really feel the urge to act, but then I always explain to others that I'm acting.
  • considers relationships to be more intimate than they actually are
    I tend and try to see more intimacy in my marriage than my wife does, and I have been hurt by my subjective opinion of her insensitivity. I'm not ready to see this as inapproriate, because a person has to has to have faith in the great oneness that God gave us with Himself and with others and try to realize that in their lives. If someone else doesn't see it, though, in love it can't be forced upon them, only encouraged in smaller bits they can understand.

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